Optimism is a Risk-Taking Mindset

While careless, this type of thinking sometimes gets a pass because it’s relatively optimistic. The thing is, optimism is actually a risk-taking mindset.

If you don’t do the hard work of projecting outcomes when considering a decision, you’re taking an unmeasured risk; it’s recklessness masquerading as positivity.

As entrepreneurs, we should make decisions based on data. And of course, there is plenty of room for vision and intuition, but these come with a tempered application, not with ignorance of the facts.

As negative as this sounds, optimism is usually a sign you are giving up. It is a sign you are delegating your decisions to hope, rather than doing the hard work of truly understanding the challenges at hand.

Try to catch yourself when you think or say phrases like:

It should work

We’ll figure it out later

It will probably be okay

These are some good red flags to keep in mind. When you catch yourself thinking this way, it’s time to get your hands dirty with some data and find a real direction forward.